Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have had my White Sided bull snake for nearly a year now..

he eats great, never refuses a meal and is in great health.

But, he does not constrict his prey.. when he was younger i fed him live pinky mice and live pinky rats...he would just swallow them whole while they were still alive and moving.... never once tried to constrict them?

he has just now made the jump to adult mice, and i do not feed him live now. i feed out pre killed..and still, he does not constrict ( not that it would matter with a prekilled mouse anyway )..

is this something to be concerned about? obviously this could be easily controlled by feeding only F/T or pre-killed, but i am wondering if this is a sign of snake that is a bit off?

thanks for any help!
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http://cherisse44.webs.com/

Your snake not constricting is nothing to worry about. I have many bulls that do not constrict as well.
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Genesis 1:1

if you give him a live hopper or smallish sized mouse, he'll constrict it, guaranteed.......

I've had many ferocious constrictors that once I got them onto f/t they became non-constrictors. These same snakes however, the few times I have done it, would constrict again when given live food.

Sean.
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1.1 BRB
1.0 Amel Pacific Gophersnake
0.1 Striped Anery Pacific Gophersnake
1.1 Triple Het TPRS's
0.1 Silver TPRS
1.1 Amel Bloodred Corns
0.1 Abbott Okeetee Corn
0.1 Blizzard Bloodred Corn
1.1 Thayeri Kingsnakes
0.1 Reeve's Turtle
0.2 Amstaff's
1.0 Pudytat

I had a yearling eastern coachwhip that only would take mice with closed eyes or hoppers in the sqinty eyed stage, anything smaller was too small, but I also have a theory that snakes in general understand that certain sent that a pinky of any species, that "fresh newborn" smell that even we humans have at birth, so the snakes'nose tells them there won't be a fight...

that is just it though, he wont!

he just tries to eat it live,iti could be squirming all over the place and he will STILL try to eat it live and not constrict it...
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http://cherisse44.webs.com/

I always fight with my pine when it comes to feeding. I like them to get exercise.

He won't constrict until I pull back and make it seem like the mouse is fighting back. THEN he goes insane, and basically explodes into a constriction.